BUSTY AND THE BASS ANNOUNCE NEW EP, SHARE FIRST SINGLE “I’M NOT HERE”

BUSTY AND THE BASS’ NEW EP, THE MANNEQUIN, DUE FEBRUARY 6, 2025 

CROSS CANADA TOUR DATES BEGIN FEBRUARY 7, 2025

WATCH / SHARE “I’M NOT HERE”
BUY / STREAM “I’M NOT HERE”

PRE-SAVE THE MANNEQUIN EP HERE

Photo Credit : Jean-Phillipe Sansfaçon // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

Alternative R&B collective Busty and the Bass return with new single "I'm Not Here". The mid-tempo synth-driven single is about giving yourself entirely to another person, even at the expense of one's self: ‘You love me but you don't understand that I'm in the palm of your hands’. Oscillating between sparse, exposed moments and expansive, layered soundscapes, the song marks a new sonic direction for the band as they gear up for their new EP, The Mannequin, set for release on February 6, 2025. The evolution of "I'm Not Here" continues their singular experimentation with soul, funk, jazz, and dance music, incorporating a more lush use of space, balanced with deep melancholic emotion, furthering the sensory experience of Busty and the Bass. 

“I’m Not Here” is “about being so hopelessly in love that you lose sight of your own self,” the band says of the song. “It’s about giving yourself entirely to another person but in a way that’s self-detrimental: ‘I’ll follow your lead, all of your wants and your needs. You love me but you don’t understand that I’m in the palm of your hands.’ It’s an unbalanced relationship dynamic where the other person holds all the power and you allow it to happen and do nothing to confront it.

“The track itself is something different for us. It’s really stripped down and exposed at times  with just vocals, bass and drums, followed by a total contrast of elements in the hooks, featuring Jordan Brown singing full-tilt and driving electric guitar accompanying him.”

WATCH / SHARE “I’M NOT HERE”
BUY / STREAM “I’M NOT HERE”


MORE ABOUT THE MANNEQUIN EP
The Mannequin is an EP that showcases the band's timeless evolution,oscillating between the soulful dancefloor mastery they are known for, and more sparse, exposed moments of expansive, layered soundscapes. The EP spotlights a new sonic direction for the band as they embellish their experimentations with genre and texture.

“Being in a band can be a surreal experience, especially being in one that’s existed for over twelve years,” the band explains of the EP. “It’s a chosen family of sorts, in this case, a boisterous group of brothers, an interpersonal constellation replete with neuroses, heartbreaks, dreams, triumphs, and meaningless inside jokes. Somehow the group holds itself together through the unforgiving economics of touring and streaming and everything else life throws at it. We think maybe it’s because of the camaraderie we’ve built over time, and maybe because of a shared idea of what we want to do: We want to make music that makes your ass move and that opens up your heart and that lights up your brain too. The Mannequin is our latest step toward that. 

“As artists, we see a landscape that’s dominated by flash and celebrity and surface appearance – getting big social media numbers and sponsorships and playlists as an artform unto itself, and maybe the most valued artform of this time and place. It reminds us of being a mannequin in a mall - an advertisement of what is supposed to be hot and cool now, with only an interchangeable, vague shape of a human under it. We called the EP The Mannequin as an indictment of that, while at the same time acknowledging that we too are playing the game – and breaking the fourth wall to say so. We want to appear glamorous too, but all we really care about is hanging out, making dope tracks, and putting on a crazy live show where we can connect with people.

“How did we make these songs? The details are always kind of fuzzy to remember. Living in at least three different cities means that any time we have together is precious, spent in frenzied hyperfocus, constantly bouncing between recording sessions of two or three of us at a time.  Chris Vincent (trombonist / bassist / producer), Alistair Blu (née Evan Crofton, vocalist / keyboardist), and Julian Trivers (drummer) made a bunch of demos. Alistair and Jordan Brown (vocalist) usually write the lyrics together. Scott Bevins (trumpeter) and Chris cut the horn parts. Chris learned how to play bass for this project and is playing all the bass parts. Chris also did all the recording engineering, and all the mixing – Chris is a madman. Each song sits in a related but not entirely similar stylistic world; There’s hints of 60’s folk psychedelia in “Over Under” alongside “Lucky (Song 7)”s nu-disco, an improvised instrumental jazz thing (Fourth Wall, Heads Talking) and “I’m Not Here”, a kind of downtempo funk rock tune with an anthemic falsetto hook by Jordan Brown, the Philly-based newest member of the group.”

PRE-SAVE THE MANNEQUIN EP HERE

MORE ABOUT BUSTY AND THE BASS
For the sprawling soul-funk collective, Busty and the Bass, collaboration has always been at the forefront of their art. Formed in Montreal over a decade ago, the band’s two studio albums, both produced by Grammy Award-winner Neal Pogue, have been praised in equal parts by tastemaker press (Complex, OkayPlayer) and established media (Billboard, American Songwriter). Over the years, they have collaborated with legends George Clinton, Macy Gray, Earth Wind & Fire, members of Slum Village, and exciting new voices like Polaris Music Prize winners Cadence Weapon and Pierre Kwenders. After an original member left the band during the pandemic, the collective expanded their ranks for the first time in years, invigorating the band with a newfound creative energy and approach. Along with these new voices come new ideas and influences that inspired the collective's most dynamic and expansive album yet, 2023's Forever Never Cares. 

TOUR DATES
Feb 7: Kingston - Broom Factor
Feb 8: Ottawa - Bronson Centre
Feb 12: St Catherines - The Warehouse
Feb 13: Hamilton - Bridgeworks
Feb 14:  London - Rum Runners
Feb 15: Toronto - The Great Hall
Feb 16:  Toronto - The Great Hall
Feb 28: Saskatoon - Louis’
Mar 1: Calgary - Commonwealth
Mar 2: Edmonton - Starlite Room
Mar 3:  Red Deer - Bo’s
Mar 5:  Kelowna - Revelry
Mar 6: Vancouver - The Pearl
Mar 7: Vancouver - The Pearl
Mar 8: Victoria - Capital Ballroom
Mar 14: Montreal - Le Studio TD

DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

THE MANNEQUIN EP 
01 Lucky (Song 7)
02 I’m Not Here
03 Over Under
04 Fourth Wall
05 Heads Talking (Outro)

BUSTY AND THE BASS ONLINE
WEBSITE
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM
YOUTUBE

BUSTY AND THE BASS SHARES NEW SINGLE / VIDEO “LUCKY (SONG 7)”, ANNOUNCES CANADIAN WINTER TOUR DATES

Photo Credit : Jean-Phillipe Sansfaçon // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

Today, Busty and the Bass release new single “Lucky (Song 7)” alongside the announcement of ‘The Mannequin Tour’, a 13 date run of Canadian headline performances that begins February 7 in Kingston, ON and concludes March 8 in Victoria, BC.

With 2023's JUNO Award nominated LP Forever Never Cares, acting as a bridge between two eras of the Montreal soul-jazz ensemble, the band enters their next phase energized by the new voice of Philly-born vocalist Jordan Brown combined with founding member Alistair Blu and a new sonic palette lifting their singular sound. "Lucky (Song 7)” is an upbeat alt R&B track about "letting go of regret, picking yourself up, and reframing hardship with a more hopeful outlook." Like if Tame Impala's Kevin Parker produced an album for Earth, Wind, and Fire.

“‘Lucky (Song 7)’ is about positive reinforcement and self-affirmation,” shares the band. “The song is about letting go of regret, picking yourself up, and reframing hardship with a more hopeful outlook. It acts as words of advice towards self-help and offers a bit of witful humour for bad days: “Just another lucky day”. The track is ultimately about allowing love and positivity to overcome the cloudiness of doubt, stress, and avoidance.” Love is always on your mind and / Lucky days are hard to find.

The new song also arrives with a music video directed by Guillaume Landry.

WATCH / SHARE “LUCKY (SONG 7) MUSIC VIDEO HERE
BUY / STREAM “LUCKY (SONG 7)” HERE

Single Art // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

Busty and the Bass recently released the Deluxe Version of Forever Never Cares, indulging further into Busty and the Bass' expansive creative journey and genre exploration. With alternate versions, demos, and unreleased tracks, the deluxe album showcases their evolving sound. 

“Forever Never Cares was forged in a deep desire to grow as a band and to have our music represent our values and influences on a deeper level than ever before,” says Chris Vincent.

The Mannequin Tour will see the band take to the road for a 13 date headline Canadian tour beginning February 7, 2025. All dates are listed below and tickets can be found HERE.

BUY / STREAM FOREVER NEVER CARES DELUXE HERE

MORE ABOUT BUSTY AND THE BASS
For the Canadian-American soul-jazz collective Busty and the Bass, collaboration has always been at the forefront of their music. Formed at McGill University in Montreal over a decade ago, the group is now scattered across four North American cities from coast to coast. Yet, with a collaborative spirit at the heart of their JUNO Award nominated third studio album, Forever Never Cares, the members have never been more connected.

Over the years, the group has collaborated with legendary artists George Clinton, Macy Gray, Earth Wind & Fire, Slum Village, and exciting new voices like Polaris Music Prize winners Cadence Weapon and Pierre Kwenders. Most recently, the group dropped a mini-album with Philadelphia poet and rapper STS. Despite such a strong history of partnerships, Forever Never Cares reshaped the band’s creative formula and redefined how they worked together a decade into their career.

After a founding member and primary songwriter left the band in 2022, the collective used the opportunity to re-approach their creative process for the first time in years. Songs would be brought to the group from individual members or smaller formations of two or three members writing together. Interestingly, more voices involved in the songwriting resulted in the group’s most refined output to date. 

Two previous studio albums, Uncommon Good (2017) and Eddie (2020), saw the band experiment with genres effortlessly changing styles song to song, from soul to funk to pop. 

Forever Never Cares finds the collective both broadening and distilling their influences into a unified sound that is entirely their own. This is due in large part to founding member Christopher Vincent who engineered and mixed the album. Vincent found a sonic language that would compliment all of the ​​disparate genres being stacked atop one another.

With soul and R&B as the album’s cornerstone, the record is sprinkled with cross-genre explorations. From the indie rock-inflected uptempo singles “All The Things I Couldn’t Say To You” and “Wandering Lies,” to slow-burn ballads like “Give Me A Smile” and “Never Get Enough,” to the celebratory pop-funk of “Starstruck” and “No Angels,” a touch of 70s singer-songwriter on “Smoke and the Pine” and “Holiday Drive,” and the psychedelic jazz explorations of “Far From Here” and “No Self Control” featuring saxophonist Terrace Martin, a frequent collaborator of Kamasi Washington and Robert Glasper.

THE MANNEQUIN TOUR DATES 
Fri Feb 7: Kingston, ON / The Broom Factory
Sat Feb 8: Ottawa, ON / Bronson Centre
Wed Feb 12: St. Catharines, ON / The Warehouse
Thu Feb 13: Hamilton, ON / Bridgeworks
Fri Feb 14: London, ON / Rum Runners Music Hall
Sat Feb 15: Toronto, ON / The Great Hall
Fri Feb 28: Saskatoon, SK / Louis'
Sat Mar 1: Edmonton, AB / The Starlite Room
Sun Mar 2: Calgary, AB / Commonwealth Bar & Stage
Mon Mar 3: Red Deer, AB / Bo's Bar & Grill
Wed Mar 5: Kelowna, BC / Revelry Food+Music Hub
Fri Mar 7: Vancouver, BC / The Pearl
Sat Mar 8: Victoria, BC / Capital Ballroom

BUSTY AND THE BASS ONLINE
WEBSITE
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM
TWITTER
YOUTUBE

BUSTY AND THE BASS RELEASE DELUXE VERSION OF FOREVER NEVER CARES

BUSTY AND THE BASS RELEASE DELUXE VERSION OF FOREVER NEVER CARES,
OUT TODAY VIA ARTS & CRAFTS

LISTEN / SHARE “ALL THE THINGS I COULDN’T SAY TO YOU (ACOUSTIC)” HERE

BUY / STREAM FOREVER NEVER CARES DELUXE HERE

Photo Credit : Jean-Phillipe Sansfaçon // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

Today, Busty and the Bass release the Deluxe Version of Forever Never Cares, indulging further into Busty and the Bass' expansive creative journey and genre exploration. With alternate versions, demos, and unreleased tracks, the deluxe album showcases their evolving sound. 

“Forever Never Cares was forged in a deep desire to grow as a band and to have our music represent our values and influences on a deeper level than ever before,” says Chris Vincent.

Alistair Blu adds that the Deluxe Version “ touches on all the various musical paths, genres, and styles we were experimenting with during the three years after Eddie. It showcases some of the missing musical pieces that originally inspired the construction of Forever Never Cares. During the pandemic, we opened up many doorways into creative places that we’d never really touched on before as a group. From the epic jazz odyssey (and title track of the deluxe album) “Forever Never Cares”, to the bouncy, club-style joint “Dance Spot (Demo)”, the beautifully messy collection of tracks lets us give a taste of all of the different sounds we were working with at this time. 

“We also included a couple demos and original songwriting voice memos to get a sneak peek into the inception of some of these songs. Chris’s original demo for “All The Things I Couldn’t Say To You” and my songwriting sessions for “Smoke and the Pine” lets our fans hear how some of these tracks first began and eventually developed over time.

“The unreleased tracks and excerpts, such as “Money and Me” and “Window Pane”, were songs that we liked collectively but didn’t really know how to fit them on the original album. The Deluxe Version gives space for the larger collection of music that we created as a collective over these past few years and breathes light into some of the farthest avenues of our creative output.”

LISTEN / SHARE “ALL THE THINGS I COULDN’T SAY TO YOU (ACOUSTIC)” HERE

BUY / STREAM FOREVER NEVER CARES DELUXE HERE

MORE ABOUT BUSTY AND THE BASS
For the Canadian-American soul-jazz collective Busty and the Bass, collaboration has always been at the forefront of their music. Formed at McGill University in Montreal over a decade ago, the group is now scattered across four North American cities from coast to coast. Yet, with a collaborative spirit at the heart of their third studio album, Forever Never Cares, the members have never been more connected.

Over the years, the group has collaborated with legendary artists George Clinton, Macy Gray, Earth Wind & Fire, Slum Village, and exciting new voices like Polaris Music Prize winners Cadence Weapon and Pierre Kwenders. Most recently, the group dropped a mini-album with Philadelphia poet and rapper STS. Despite such a strong history of partnerships, Forever Never Cares reshaped the band’s creative formula and redefined how they worked together a decade into their career.

After a founding member and primary songwriter left the band in 2022, the collective used the opportunity to re-approach their creative process for the first time in years. Songs would be brought to the group from individual members or smaller formations of two or three members writing together. Interestingly, more voices involved in the songwriting resulted in the group’s most refined output to date. 

Two previous studio albums, Uncommon Good (2017) and Eddie (2020), saw the band experiment with genres effortlessly changing styles song to song, from soul to funk to pop. 

Forever Never Cares finds the collective both broadening and distilling their influences into a unified sound that is entirely their own. This is due in large part to founding member Christopher Vincent who engineered and mixed the album. Vincent found a sonic language that would compliment all of the ​​disparate genres being stacked atop one another.

With soul and R&B as the album’s cornerstone, the record is sprinkled with cross-genre explorations. From the indie rock-inflected uptempo singles “All The Things I Couldn’t Say To You” and “Wandering Lies,” to slow-burn ballads like “Give Me A Smile” and “Never Get Enough,” to the celebratory pop-funk of “Starstruck” and “No Angels,” a touch of 70s singer-songwriter on “Smoke and the Pine” and “Holiday Drive,” and the psychedelic jazz explorations of “Far From Here” and “No Self Control” featuring saxophonist Terrace Martin, a frequent collaborator of Kamasi Washington and Robert Glasper.

BUY / STREAM FOREVER NEVER CARES DELUXE HERE

TOUR DATES
Nov 19 - Burlington, VT - Foam 
Nov 20 - Boston, MA - The Sinclair 
Nov 22 - Philadelphia, PA - MilkBoy 
Nov 23 - Brooklyn, NY - Elsewhere Hall 
Nov 24 - Washington, DC - Pearls 
Dec 7 - Quebec City, QC

DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES
FOREVER NEVER CARES DELUXE LP
1. All The Things I Couldn't Say To You
2. Starstruck
3. Never get enough
4. Smoke and the Pine
5. Wandering Lies
6. Holiday Drive
7. Far From Here
8. No Angels
9. Give me a Smile
10. No Self Control
11. All The Things I Couldn't Say To You (Acoustic)
12. Money and Me (Unreleased)
13. Starstruck (The Breakglass Version)
14. Smoke and the Pine (The Breakglass Version)
15. No Self Control (The Breakglass Version)
16. Alan Prater Jam (Demo)
17. Window Pane (Excerpt)
18. All The Things I Couldn't Say To You (Ron’s Demo)
19. Dance Spot (Demo)
20. Smoke and the Pine (Blu’s Songwriting Session)
21. Holiday Drive (Sped Up Tape Version)
22. No Angels (Instrumental)
23. Give Me A Smile (Instrumental)
24. Wandering Lies (A Capella)
25. Forever Never Cares

BUSTY AND THE BASS ONLINE
WEBSITE
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM
TWITTER
YOUTUBE